Desirable Districts

For years, the city's antiques district on Upper King Street has attracted shoppers eager for furniture and other treasures from yesteryear. But today, another shopping dimension is emerging, as Lower King Street makes a name for itself as Charleston's new design district.

The Antiques District
It would be difficult to separate Charleston's antebellum homes from the magnificent furniture, porcelain, silver, art and other finery that filled them. As far back as the late 1700s and into the early 1800s, a new breed of cabinetmakers, silversmiths and other craftsmen had evolved in Charleston to fill the demand of wealthy planters and merchants for fine items to fill their mansions that lined the peninsular city. These craftsmen often had King Street addresses.

By the early 19th century, hundreds of small businesses also traded along King Street, many selling to eager shoppers from wagons loaded with cotton and other goods parked along the street. Sadly, in the years after the Civil War, this once bustling marketplace fell into ruin.

Even as Charleston struggled to recover after years of war, and bouts of devastating fires, hurricanes and earthquakes, the wares of the city's fine craftsmen did not go unnoticed by savvy dealers up and down the East Coast. By 1920, the antiques industry was going strong in Charleston, even as King Street remained virtually abandoned.

By the middle of the 20th century, a group of visionary men and women began restoring Charleston to its former beauty and elegance. King Street was no exception. As new decades of hope unfolded, what remained of old shops and businesses along King was bought, restored and reopened.

Almost as if some pieces of fine silver and cabinetry somehow made their way home to where they were created, antique shops began popping up on King Street. Today, one section of lower King, between Beaufain and Queen streets, has been dubbed "The Antiques District" by locals. This district offers an opportunity to browse the finest antique shops in America. Charleston also boasts some of the nation's foremost experts-in-residence in period English and American furniture, silver, porcelain and art. A stroll through the King Street Antiques District can quickly turn into an adventure in antiquing.

The Design District
For the last few years, Upper King Street, which lies just north of Calhoun Street, has undergone a facelift. With the city's multimillion dollar streetscape renovation winding down, a leisurely walk along this busy stretch suggests that Upper King is fast becoming the city's "place to be." With more than $400 million in private investment already in the works, it's no wonder that Upper King is attracting professional offices, and increasingly upscale restaurants, retail businesses and nightlife offerings.

Even as a number of hotel and condominium developer stake claims along and adjacent Upper King Street, a number of design-related businesses have already opened their doors on this thriving business thoroughfare. Architects and interior designers were among the first to realize the potential for the street's historic structures, which for decades were innocuous in a city known internationally for its magnificent antebellum architecture. But renovating storefronts and hanging "open for business" signs soon drew others from the design community eager to bring both traditional and modern interior design ideas to a sophisticated local clientele. Not to be left out, savvy visitors soon began making their way from King Street's antique district to Upper King in order to indulge in a different shopping experience.

Furniture stores that have long-served discriminating Charlestonians were recently joined by other more modern home furnishing and décor establishments, along with a new crop of antique stores, and showrooms featuring the finest in lightening and fixtures. All this, plus a smattering of cool new restaurants, both casual and upscale, and the hottest night spots in downtown Charleston makes this the fastest growing retail district around.

For a guide to shopping in Charleston, click here.

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Fresh Fields Village Freshfields Village is a neighborhood of locally owned businesses located close to Charleston’s sea island resorts, where shop owners and their customers know each other by first-name. Like the village greens in 1800’s, Freshfields is a center for entertainment.